This invention generally relates to dental implants and, more particularly, to those implants used in a growing individual, such as a child or young adult.
Currently, there are limited restorative options to pursue when a growing individual is missing a maxillary or mandibular tooth, such as an anterior tooth. Such a tooth may be either congenitally missing, or missing as the result of trauma or decay. The space formed by the missing tooth may be closed orthodontically, but this option can create occlusal disharmony. For anterior teeth, aesthetic reasons would dictate the use of a dental implant. However, existing osseointegrated implants are not viable options in a growing individual because the implant remains fixed and stationary while the surrounding teeth continue to erupt. The outcome of this situation is an unacceptable aesthetic result, with significant discrepancies in the incisal edges and gingival margins.
Current options for anterior single tooth replacement in the growing individual include: fabrication and placement of a fixed partial denture (dental bridge), fabrication and placement of a removable partial denture, or some iteration of the above described options. Drawbacks to a fixed partial denture include removal of normal tooth structure of adjacent teeth, difficulty with hygiene, and unacceptable aesthetic results. Drawbacks to removable replacements include the need for removal while eating, poor aesthetics, poor fit, and potential loss of the removable appliance. Above all, the greatest drawback to either fixed or removable tooth replacement is the eventual loss of bone in the region of the missing tooth. Unless the bone in the maxillary or mandibular dental ridge is under physical load similar to a natural tooth, physiologic resorption will occur. This bone resorption establishes the need for a ridge augmentation procedure (usually a bone graft), prior to placement of an osseointegrated implant.
A need therefore exists for an improved implant, system and method for replacing a tooth, especially in a growing individual.